You won't see it again this weekend because every coach will be reminding their players that they have to start walking in before the clock gets to zero.
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Can't tell from this video:
http://www.afl.com.au/video/2017-05-...-time-runs-out
From what you do see, Dixon looks like he is about to get up. The 30 seconds would have started straight away as the ball is in his arms.
You then hear and see the umpire whistle, tells the player and signal when there is 5 seconds left.
The other thing the video shows is the Geelong player on the left is far to close.
So the umpire chose to enforce one rule (Dixon started his run up a millisecond over 30) over another (Geelong player in the restricted zone). One favoured the home team, one didn't. What a shocker.
I'm not disputing that, just saying the 30 second rule is one that is not open to interpretation and was applied exactly how it should be.
I was at Geelong last week and it was very frustrating. With the new stand and the big, one sided crowd, it will rival Subiaco.
I have a real issue with this particular rule being black and white but others being open to interpretation. As we've seen tonight, the black and white approach saw a massive impact on play that was a result of action that was inconsequential to the broader way in which the game is played. Does it really matter that Dixon took too long to get back to his goal kicking position? Why not start the clock after time on once he's running in or taken a kick?
If we hold a player to such strict guidelines by suggesting he should be watching the shot clock, is it on the umpires to measure out the ten metres his opponents can start his run up from?
If a player is completely smashed in a marking contest through something not called but unfair and it impacts his ability to take a kick in the required time, should taking the ball for a kick mean he's subject to the thirty second rule? Is it discretionary post that?
I take your point that it's not the umpire's fault Aker, but none of it makes sense in a black and white world. My suggestion is we give the umpires a break, estimate these things, otherwise we'll have to sweat on everything.
10 metre rule
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DAq93qbXUAQhXYE.jpg
No free with minutes to go:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DAq9_ldW0AATy1h.jpg
If a player is injured, the umpire would signal time on and the 30 second clock would stop until time is signalled back on.
He doesn't need to watch the shot clock.
He is told twice how long to go.
That player is Mitch Duncan, who of course was first on the scene to pressure Dixon after the play on call. Nice loophole found by the Cats there - kudos to them for being switched on at the time but it is manifestly unfair for a player 3m away to jump in on Dixon when he should have been 10m away.
It's essentially a moot point given Dixon should have been taking a shot from the goal line?